the yellow house project : bathroom

To catch up on the yellow house project, start here, scroll through to the bottom, and read up.

It’s been a while, and we’re ready to get back to our regular postings on the Yellow House. Clay and Lindsey are doing well, and have been super busy helping the community around them recover from all of the recent disaster in Tuscaloosa. In the meantime, I thought I would get back to helping them continue to make their own house a home. Here are some photos Lindsey sent me of their main bathroom.

This is the only bathroom on the main level, so the small space poses a few challenges that need to be addressed.

And here’s the inspiration board I whipped up for them.

Sometimes I do my inspiration boards, and then decide it’s best to start with the basics. So, starting her up at no. 4, I think it’s first things first: Things will feel a lot fresher in Benjamin Moore’s Oxford White. A barely-there pale grey, the space will be given a breath of fresh air, and enhance the area so that it has less of a cave-like feel. {Not sure how your screen is presenting it, but it truly is a soft grey.}

1. + 7. those lights and that mirror gotta go. This change will make the room feel fresh again.

This simple fixture keeps the space classic. It’s also affordable, and will bring instant, character into the space.

I love this simple solution for a “new” mirror. An attractive vintage piece on the wall, {This one was apparently salvaged from an old vanity} paired with a shelf and brackets for some much needed space over that counter-less pedestal sink.

I would recommend taking a secondary rod to the front, and using it for the shower curtain, extend it all the way to the ceiling. It’s amazing what a shower curtain can do for a space, and doing so would make the bathroom seem loftier…more open.

6. Being completely honest, if it’s in their budget, they should take a sledgehammer to that tile. ;} AND floor.

In this case, I would probably bring some subway tile up to the halfway point of that existing mirror. TADA! Instant brighter beauty and character.

{big fat huge disclaimer: It’s impossible to tell the exact colors of all of this on screen, so, if no such thing can be found nearby in your local hardware store, always order samples first when seriously considering a major purchase like this}

Using classic pieces like these will actually bring the bathroom back to its original era. I’m pretty sure the bathroom first had something like this in it. It would also flow better with the rest of the look of their home.

5. On the issue of storage: that little nook is begging for some built in shelving

I’d love to see it filled floor to ceiling with simple wooden shelves, or something super beautiful like this, built to size… {I’ve got your welder, if you’re interested…} This shelving is an instant solution for that no-counter, tight-on-space issue. And is large enough for everything from toothbrushes to bath towels.

2. It’s the accessories that really make the space: The towels, baskets, rug and soap dispenser, would look fabulous in that room for touches of details when it’s all said and done.

And there you have it. Ideas for Clay and Lindsey’s bathroom. Can’t wait to see what they do with it!

Have you installed any subway tile, or recently redone your bathroom? I’m sure any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Do tell!

Responses to the yellow house project : bathroom

I just did our downstairs bathroom last year with white and black tile. We have subway tile all around the tub, and I love it! I used a Kohler pedestal sink and matching toilet. I found a black distressed wood stacking tower with glass fronts for towels and bath supplies. So cute! I love the way it turned out.

Wow. I am a fairly new reader and had not taken the time to read all of the yellow house posts… until this morning. Wow. What a beautiful and sweet couple!! What an amazing thing to do!! I thank God for the work they are able to accomplish with their lives and marriage. Such encouragement! Thank you for sharing this. I live in Nashville, but am dying to know of a way that I can help them (other than praying of course..) so if you know of anything, please post it! My husband and I are currently interim youth leaders at our (small) church. At some point we will be looking for a mission trip for our kids… if that area needs help with projects, it might be a good place for us to consider.

Are Clay and Lindsey in the same neighborhood as the Brown and Blue house? What is happening with the community garden? Thanks again for letting us in on this story!

Hey Sarah! So glad to meet you! 😉 I will let lindsay answer some of these questions. But They are in the same community as the brown and blue house. I’m sure they could use some help there! And if anyone is interested, Some have asked previously, and it may sound silly, but I know they could use gift cards to lowes or home depot to help fund some of their fixer upper stuff. Their house needs some work in the repairs department. 😉

Hey Sarah! Thanks for your sweet comments. The community garden is GREAT…you wouldn’t believe what it looks like right now- it’s FULL of amazing veggies and fruit. Our neighbors have been sharing some of their harvests with us. Check out the Brown House facebook page for pictures and recent happenings in the neighborhood!

hi there. i am loving these inspiration boards, i have a question about the hexagon tile for the bathroom floor. i recently tiled my small bathroom floor with the exact same white hexagon tile and white grout. this is proving very hard to keep the grout clean. it looked to me in the picture of the finished bathroom that the grout may have been a darker shade. what do you recommend? can you have a darker grout with white tile or should i just buy magic erasers by the truckload! thanks for your help!

Hey girl! I guess it just really depends on what you truly want. How long has it been down, and how hard is it to keep clean? How large is the space? I may keep the white, if it’s not an absolute nightmare? Darker grout sometimes bothers me, personally, but its all about your personal preference. I probably am not helping much-i just think its all about what you want. Pros vs. Cons kinda ratio. 😉